March 2010

Thursday, March 4, 2010 to Friday, March 5, 2010

Experts from the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM), practitioners and academics will analyze significant developments in EU law on trademarks and designs since 2007, when the last ERA conference at OHIM was held. In the field of trademarks, the most significant EU case law on relative and absolute grounds for refusal will be presented, including preliminary rulings from the Court of Justice of the EU. There will be a special focus on: The use of trademarks in advertising (Comparative advertising, Adwords and keywords used online), Trademark strategies and defenses (genuine use, dilution, free-riding and tarnishment), Policy initiatives and recent cases from the EU Courts in the field of enforcement of rights and counterfeiting. Concerning designs, the first decisions from the OHIM boards of Appeal and the Court of Justice of the EU will be presented and discussed.